Australia could have been a French colony: academic

Imagine an Australia where frogs' legs and snails were a commonly consumed dish and instead of speaking English with an Australian twang, we had carved out our very own accent to the tone of French.

But for a couple of mishaps, Australia could have become a French colony and the Australia we would be living in today would be quite different to the one we know.

In a book launched on Friday, an academic at University of Western Australia has written about why the French – despite having claimed the western side of the continent, drawn detailed charts and made thousands of important scientific discoveries – did not stick around to develop the nation.

Noelene Bloomfield, an honorary research fellow in European Languages and Studies at UWA, explains what happened in Almost a French Australia: French-British Rivalry in the Southern Oceans.

One of the incidents that would have led to Australia becoming French happened in Western Australia.

In 1772 French explorer Saint Alouarn arrived on the west coast of Australia.

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But Alouarn was never able to present his findings to his king as he died on the return journey to France.

While it is understood that a document was left behind, it has never been found while the coins were found in 1998.

Mrs Bloomfield pointed out that there would be a few interesting differences in life as we know it if the French had stuck around in the land they called Terre Australe, meaning southern land.

She said the original inhabitants might have fared better under French rule, than they did under the British.

"The orders to French captains were always to treat the indigenous people with great respect and not to hurt them," she said.

"I think they would've encouraged the Aboriginal people in education, as they tended to do in Africa and Canada.

"Which was certainly not the case with the British."

Mrs Bloomfield said it was likely there would also be a general cultural difference in the country as the French put a greater deal of importance into knowledge.

"It was around the age of enlightenment, they were very focused on scientific research," she said.

Australia would also likely have different trading partners, those who had been aligned with the French.

Mrs Bloomfield said there had been benefits of having the British settle the country rather than the French.

'They brought with them the stability of a political system already in place," she said.

"Rather than being ruled by a King."

Mrs Bloomfield said with that political structure things may have been "a bit straggly and disorganised" if the French tried to colonise the country.

She said it was not until 1826 when the Governor of New South Wales decided there were too many foreign vessels hanging around that he ordered flags be hung on parts of the west coast and some buildings to be built by convicts.

Mrs Bloomfield said this was the final move that kept the French from trying to explore the area further and establish.

She said the British were successful a bit out of luck but mostly through perseverance.

While the French did not stay on in Australia, they did leave a lasting reminder with the many French names of towns and places along the WA coast.